An individual is often required to participate in an activity which does not require his full attention, resulting in boredom, irritation and anxiety which may eventually interfere with the individual's ability to concentrate on the activity. Examples of such situations include attending classes or seminars, talking on the telephone, and the like. Even when the subject matter is interesting, an active individual may become restless and have a tendency to fidget while listening to the speaker. The individual often attempts to relieve such boredom or restlessness by doodling, playing games such as tic-tac-toe, and the like. A hand-held device which may be used by the individual for entertainment to relieve restless, boredom and/or satisfy a need to fidget while allowing the individual to concentrate on the speaker or primary activity for a greater period of time is desirable.
A variety of hand-held objects, toys and the like are available for the entertainment and/or relaxation of the user. One type of object generally consists of a resilient material which may be manipulated by the user. The action of repeatedly squeezing the object is intended to relax the user while strengthening muscles in the hand and forearm. An example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,211. While this type of object may be used to occupy and exercise the hand, it provides no mental stimulation or challenge for entertaining the user. Puzzle devices which are manipulated by the hands of the user are available to provide mental stimulation and entertainment. However, these puzzle devices may impair the user's ability to concentrate on the primary activity. Since both hands are typically required to manipulate the device, the puzzle device is not a suitable source of entertainment when one hand must remain free for other activities, for example writing or holding a telephone. Those puzzle devices which may be used by more than one person are unsuitable for entertaining the user while he participates in the primary activity, for example attending a class or a seminar. While these types of devices may entertain the user, they often require that the user shift his visual attention to the device rather than the speaker or presentation. Moreover, these devices may not be used as a means of communication or interaction for individuals in different locations or for individuals present under conditions which prevent the individuals from speaking to one another.
In many situations, such as a class or a meeting, an individual may want to communicate with others participating in the activity, sharing thoughts on the speaker's comments or on unrelated subject matter. However, it is difficult to communicate with others sitting nearby without creating a disturbance and nearly impossible to have meaningful interaction with individuals located several seats away. A tactile device which permits the user to communicate or interact with others without creating a disturbance is desirable. In some instances, the individual may want to communicate or interact with an individual who is not participating in the activity. A tactile device which allows for communication or interaction between individuals at different locations is also desirable.
Interface devices which arc worn on the user's hand and used to transmit a signal to a computer translating the user's hand movements into alpha-numeric characters are available. U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,527 discloses an example of data entry glove. U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,689 discloses an example of such an interface device which may be used in place of a keyboard. U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,362 shows glove for controlling a video game. U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,952 discloses an instrumented glove which may be used to communicate hand signals to a microcomputer. Although these devices may be used to transmit input from the user's hand motions to a computer, this interaction is one-way--from the user to the computer. These input devices do not supply tactile output to the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,129 discloses a belt buckle with an alarm which is activated by distending the waist to activate a transmitter. Although the device may be used to transmit an alarm signal, the device is not suitable for meaningful communication or interaction with others through tactile signals. Moreover, the alarm device does not receive signals or transmit those signals to the user. Although the alarm provides a warning signal prior to activating the transmitter, this warning signal originates from the alarm device, not an outside source.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,478 discloses a virtual reality device in which signals are transmitted to a device worn on the hand to simulate a sense of touch. Although the device may be used to subtly reproduce a sense of touch, the device is not used to supply a tactile signal to communicate or interacted with the user.
A tactile device which may be used to transmit output as well as receive input, allowing the user to communicate or interact with others through tactile signals, is desirable.